113,783
Population
Sunny Days: 275
42100 Affordability
100100 Schools
60100 Diversity
92100 Safety
Murrieta, California
Grab a horse and some wine
Murrieta Downtown
The Alleyway
Rancho Bella Vista Park
Rancho Bella Vista Park
The Best Thing About Murrieta?
Excellent Education at a Discount
When families flee the absurd housing prices of San Diego and Los Angeles they typically have two priorities in mind.
1) Find a place they can afford to purchase a home, or at least a place they can afford to rent while they work to build their nest egg.
2) Excellent public schools so the lower costs don't come at their children’s expense.
Murrieta satisfies these requirements quite nicely. Median home prices are ~$650k, which by California standards, is quite reasonable. Match that with the city’s A+ ratings for public schools on niche.com and you can see why it’s a popular choice.
The Worst Thing About Murrieta?
The Commute
Complaining about Southern California traffic is incredibly boring but that doesn’t make it untrue. If you live here and have to commute to San Diego or LA every day we’ll just say don’t. Life’s too short. It can be two hours or more each way and seriously, that’s no way to live. Some do it via a 5 am start and mid-afternoon return and we guess that could be a way to make it work but seriously, if you’re considering moving here make sure your job is in the Inland Empire or you’re a full time work-from-homer or at least only have to commute a day or two a week
Lifestyle of Murrieta
Murrieta is well known as a safe, high-quality school system, suburb. It’s boring in a way many families appreciate. Minimal city-type quality of life issues, even if at the expense of the fun and culture that come from those city experiences. For nights and days out there is a small downtown area called Old Town. It ain’t La La Land for entertainment but there is a fun mix of microbrewer options like 8 Bit Brewing Company, inspired by 1980’s video games, the design is fun and family friendly (and dog-friendly). There’s also a multi-activity spot called Mulligan Family Fun Center with go-kart racing, laser tag, miniature golf, arcade, rides, batting cages, water slides and food. It’s a pretty awesome spot for the kiddos to recreate.
There are also tons of parks like the California Oaks Sports Park, that has not just the usual play structure and sports fields, but also a community pool and skate park to keep suburban kids busy.
Most transplants from the big cities will make fun of it for being a bit boring but also note that between Old Town (Downtown) and the places for families to recreate make it work when you feel the need to escape to a lower cost and higher quality school city.
Schools in Murrieta
A+
The quality of the school system is probably tied with housing prices as the number one reason people move to Murrieta. As was noted it rates and A+ on niche.com and virtually all the schools in the district grade out at an A so you don’t have to get too picky about the neighborhoods you consider as far as which school zone they fall under. Special props go out to Murrieta High School, recently named one of America's Most Spirited High Schools.
For those considering alternatives there are private Christian Schools that are highly rated. Calvary Murrieta Christian runs schools from elementary to middle school and high school that are all considered excellent.
Why You Should Move Here Now?
WFH Lifestyle
If you’re freed from the tether of going into an office in LA or San Diego, or at least don’t have to go in more than once a week (twice at most) then Murrieta is a great option. One note, some progressives find it too conservative for their tastes, relative to the politics back in San Diego or LA, so just keep that in mind if a more red-leaning city ain’t your cup of tea.
Living in Murrieta
Neighborhoods in Murrieta
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Copper Canyon
Families/Young Families
Copper Canyon is a master-planned community known for young families who flock here for the safe streets, affordable homes, median home price under $700k, and excellent schools. Families appreciate the access to wonderful hiking spots including Copper Canyon Fitness Trail,
and the Santa Rosa Plateau, a 9,000 acre nature conservation with miles of open trails and beautiful views. The neighborhood also has wonderful parks including Copper Canyon Park, that has two actual parks, plenty of athletic fields and tons open space for kiddo and doggo play.
It's close to groceries and plenty of big box shopping. The neighborhood is zoned for Cole Canyon Elementary, Thompson Middle and Murrieta Valley High, all solid choices.
Bear Creek
Families
Bear Creek is a private, gated community on the rolling hills of Murrieta. There are 620 homes, both single-family and town homes, all built round a Jack Nicklaus-designed championship golf course. Median home price for homes in the community is right around the $800k level with many single family homes above $1m.
If you buy in the community you share in the common amenities of an Olympic-sized pool, spa, fitness facility, clay and concrete tennis courts, Bocce courts, and event spaces. Residents love both the neighborhood privacy and the community aspect of the community spaces. The views from the hills ain't bad either.
Schools include Cole Canyon Elementary, Thompson Middle and Murrieta Valley High.
Alta Murrieta
Families/Young Families/Retirees
Alta Murrieta is a central neighborhood, built in the 80’s/90’s and filled with nicely designed Spanish and Mediterranean-style homes, It's close to the 215 for commuters who want to hop right on the freeway. Young families enjoy the median home price of ~$600k as well as the bountiful shopping and eats. There is also a big medical facility so retirees also appreciate like the neighborhood as well.
Alta Murrieta has great outdoor experiences available including
Warms Springs Park and Preserve, a beautiful spot with bike and walking trails, horse shoe pits and tons of open spaces for picnics or general play. It also has Pond Park, a catch and release fishing spot, for those hankering to cast a line.
Schools include Alta Murrieta Elementary, Warm Springs Middle, and Vista Murrieta High, all highly rated.
Central Park
Families
Central Park is farther east and more secluded than other neighborhoods in Murrieta. It's a classic (and beloved) California suburban neighborhood with a fun clubhouse, swimming pool, sports fields, and plenty of open spaces for families and kiddos to play together. It gets hot in the summers here and the pools are critical for beating the heat and creating a social culture to pull families together. There is some grocery shopping, boutique restaurants (amidst the bigger chains), and a couple cafes for getting your tasty caffeine fix. The neighborhood borders Temecula and so many locals frequent the Promenade Mall, for shopping, higher-end restaurants and entertainment. Median home prices are typically right around $800k but the homes run bigger with 4-5 bedrooms very common.
Schools include Alamos Elementary, Bella Vista Middle and Chaparral High School. You can’t do better for quality of schools in the area.
Spencer’s Crossing
Families
Spencer's Crossing is in the northeast corner of Murrieta. It's the newest community in the city so all the homes and amenities are brand new. These amenities include Spencer's Community Space that has two pool areas, a spa, a clubhouse and event gathering space for local events. Murrieta gets toasty and the community enjoys the opportunity to cool off and be social with other families.
It's also well known for Spencer’s Crossing Sports Park. It's a massive multi-sport facility with multiple baseball/softball diamonds, including several that are lighted. It also has soccer fields, basketball courts and tons of open green spaces, picnic areas and general play spaces for the kiddos.
The homes in Spencer's Crossing are mostly large, often 4-5 bedrooms, Spanish and Mediterranean styles, and a median home price of ~$725k. One unusual characteristic of the neighborhood is that nearly all the homes in this master-planned community come with solar and seller's often pay off the solar in escrow.
The schools zoned for the neighborhood include Lisa J. Mails Elementary, Dorothy McElhinney Middle and Vista Murrieta High School, all excellent options.